Sew A Potholder In Minutes Tutorial

Potholders are just one of those kitchen items that need to be replaced fairly often. They get spilled on and burned. The good news is potholders can be sewn fairly quickly and inexpensively.

Especially when compared to the price of the ones at Williams and Sonoma which I love and own quite a few of.

I have put together a tutorial of how to sew potholders. I machine embroider the front piece but you could easily sew strips of fabric together for the front or just use a pretty printed fabric. The choice is yours.

How To Sew A Potholder

I start with a sturdy material like twill or denim. Quilting fabric is fine but realize that this probably won’t last as long. I also use a pre folded double wide bias tape. You can make your own but remember this is how to sew a potholder in minutes.

You will need a cotton batting not polyester. Polyester will melt when it gets hot. That’s the last thing you need in a potholder.

Insul Bright is a heat resistant material that reflects heat. Perfect for potholders. This can be found at most fabric and craft stores.

I use a special presser foot to apply the bias binding. More on that later.

Supplies Needed

2 pieces of fabric cut to 8.5 x 8.5

1 piece of cotton batting cut to 8.5 x 8.5

1 piece of Insul Bright cut to 8.5 x 8.5

1 package of double wide bias tape

Thread

Sewing machine

Bias binding presser foot

Straight pins

Steps for Sewing A Potholder

Layer in this order on a flat surface : backing fabric, cotton batting, Insul Bright and front fabric.

Pin the 4 pieces all around the edges. Use lots of pins. Don’t be stingy. You don’t want the fabric sandwich to shift while you are sewing it.

Round the corners using an old cd like I did in this post. This makes sewing the bias binding easier than having to square off corners.

Stitch all around the potholder layers using a long basting stitch. The longer stitch will allow you to remove any stitching that is not covered by the binding.

I use the edge of my presser foot as a guide to the edge of the fabric. This will secure the layers while you are sewing on the binding.

This is the binding presser foot I use to attach the binding. It is a low shank foot. I can adjust the width to match the binding. It makes applying the binding much easier. It is one of my favorite preset feet. You should be able to get this at your local sewing machine dealer or here.

Disclaimer: this post contains an affliliate link which if you make a purchase through, I will receive a small commission.

I start sewing the bias binding at the top middle of my potholder because I like my hanging loop to be at the top. I never cut off the binding from the card spool it is on. That way I don’t have to measure the binding.

I slowly sew the binding all the way around the potholder to where I started. Then I sew over the beginning a bit before removing the potholder from the sewing machine.

To make the loop. I cut the binding that is still attached to the potholder leaving a two inch tail. Then I twist the tail to the back to form the loop. Then turning the binding raw edges in, I sew the bottom of the loop to the potholder matching the sewn binding.

You are done. Fast and easy. Great gift for anyone. Who doesn’t need cute potholders?